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The latest fallout from Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of whether those in Donald Trump’s inner circle aided Russia’s attempts to sway the 2016 U.S. election, the potentially short-lived U.S.-China trade truce, and ongoing social upheaval in France provided fodder for some of Bloomberg’s best political enterprise from the past seven days. Catch up on these topics and more with the latest edition of Weekend Reads. 

Putin’s ‘American’ Oligarch Bleeds Billions After Trump BoastsStephanie Baker, Yuliya Fedorinova and Irina Reznik report exclusively on a chance 2016 encounter in New York between one-time Trump lawyer Michael Cohen and a relative of Russian tycoon Viktor Vekselberg. 

China Debates Pros and Cons of Retaliation After Huawei ArrestThe arrest of Meng Wanzhou, Huawei Technologies Co.’s chief financial officer, has triggered a pitched debate in China over whether to carry on with trade talks or link the two issues and retaliate.

Order! Order! A Minute-by-Minute Guide to U.K. Parliament VotesAhead of Tuesday’s planned U.K. Parliament vote on Prime Minister Therea May’s Brexit plan, Robert Hutton and Kitty Donaldson bring you up to speed on all the strange traditions and antiquated rules that will come into force.

Italy’s Clean Energy Town Asks Why Populists Are Abandoning ItThe Five Star Movement used to rave about towns like Montieri, a village in the Tuscan foothills that burns little coal or natural gas. Now that the party is in government and looking at the bills for these clean-energy technologies, it’s singing a different tune, Chiara Albanese and William Wilkes report. 

Hugo Chavez’s Failed Socialist Experiment Is Deadlier Than EverTwenty years ago, the ex-rebel rose to power in Venezuela and laid the foundation for today’s humanitarian crisis, David Papadopoulos writes.

How Netanyahu ‘The Magician’ Makes Political Threats DisappearThe Israeli prime minister beat back an attempted parliamentary mutiny and maintains his wide popular support. Jonathan Ferziger explains the secret behind Benjamin Netanyahu’s staying power. 

Ukrainian Leader Renews Plea for Western Action on RussiaPetro Poroshenko renewed appeals to allies in Europe and the U.S. to punish Russia for a clash that’s reignited tensions between the two ex-Soviet neighbors. Read more from Daryna Krasnolutska, Kateryna Choursina and Michael McKee’s exclusive interview with the Ukrainian president.

A Synagogue Grows in Dubai as the Gulf Warms Up to IsraelJewish expats working in the Persian Gulf are talking publicly for the first time about the synagogue they’ve established in Dubai. The emergence of the community of about 150 members reflects warming relations between Israel and Arab states, as well as the U.A.E.’s effort to project an image of religious tolerance, Jonathan Ferziger and Alisa Odenheimer write. 

Trump Tariffs Are Driving Up the Cost of Public-Works ProjectsIf Congress approves a national public-works program next year that Democratic and Republican leaders are proposing, Trump’s trade war could inflate the price tag, costing taxpayers and construction companies many millions of dollars, Mark Niquette reports. 

Kushners’ Tony Beachfront Strip Eligible for Poor-Area Tax PerksThe opportunity zones in the new U.S. tax law are supposed to attract investment to low-income areas. But some of these neighborhoods aren’t exactly struggling. Caleb Melby and David Kocieniewski take a closer look. 

And finally… Bloomberg Businessweek is out with its list of 50 icons and innovators who have changed the global business landscape in measurable ways over the past year. Entertainment Studios' Byron Allen, NYSE’s Stacey Cunningham, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland, Nextdoor’s Sarah Friar, the Wing’s Audrey Gelman, Dropbox’s Drew Houston, Waymo’s John Krafcik, representative-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the Parkland activists, Comcast’s Brian Roberts, U.S. Senator Tim Scott, and actor and producer Reese Witherspoon are among those named. 

 

To contact the author of this story: Kathleen Hunter in London at khunter9@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Karl Maier at kmaier2@bloomberg.net

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